Welcome back to the Asheville Science Tavern (in person)! For those of you who are regulars you will know that we have been hosting events online since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and have continued such until recently. We will be meeting at our old haunt in the upstairs presentation room at White Labs Taproom in Asheville. As always we are supported through generous donations from our attendees, these donations go towards covering website costs and any event related costs.

Barry Markovsky is no stranger to the Science Tavern as he presented his work for us virtually back in September of 2021. We are thrilled to be hosting him again as he has begun work on a book exploring nuances of belief and science communication. We look forward to seeing you there and please enjoy a short description from the author.

Carl Sagan popularized the aphorism “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” But his skeptic’s credo hasn’t stemmed the sometimes dangerous tides of pseudoscience, paranormal beliefs, and conspiratorial claims.

One facet of the problem is a failure to communicate the awesomeness of science and critical thinking to a general audience. In hopes of filling this gap, I’m working on a book that tells true stories of everyday extraordinary experiences: A dear friend’s faith in astrology, a UFO sighting, a haunted workplace, a dream that foretells the future, and many more. In each case, the story draws on one of more sciences to make what’s likely going on “backstage” just as interesting as the unfounded pseudo-explanations. Some of it’s pretty funny, too.

My research and publications are in several areas of social psychology: group processes, human judgment and beliefs, social influence, and social networks. I taught and conducted research at the University of South Carolina (2001-2019), and the University of Iowa (1983-2001), and was Sociology Program Director at the National Science Foundation (1997-1999). I’ve lived in Asheville at least part time since 2006, and full time since retiring a couple of years ago.

The working title for the book mentioned above is Everyday Extraordinary: A Scientist Ponders a Lifetime of Magical, Bizarre, and Paranormal Experiences. The hour will include a short presentation, a reading from a book in progress, and an open discussion.

This holiday season, visit Tryon Resort’s Winterfest Village to find festive fun for the entire family. Meet Santa and your favorite Who-ville characters with your Winterfest Village ticket, or come enjoy free live music and character interactions in Legends Plaza. There is something to get every member of the family in the holiday spirit!

Join host Tena Frank for Malaprop’s Mystery Book Club! Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets at Malaprop’s on the second Monday of every month at 7:00 pm.

George Masa’s Wild Vision by Brent Martin The Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) is pleased to announce Brent Martin’s George Masa’s Wild Vision: A Japanese Immigrant Imagines Western North Carolina as the 67th winner of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. The Award has been presented annually by the Western North Carolina Historical Association since 1955 for printed works that focus special attention on Western North Carolina. Of the work, Catherine Frank, Chair of the selection committee, said: “In ‘George Masa’s Wild Vision: A Japanese Immigrant Imagines Western North Carolina’ Brent Martin brings together Masa’s arresting images and his own reflections on walking in Masa’s footsteps to tell one of our region’s important stories in an innovative way. Masa played a pivotal role in the creation of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the Appalachian Trail through photographs that allowed viewers to experience places they would never visit. Martin creates a portrait of a man and a region we now know a little better.” A prize of $2,500 accompanies the engraved Literary Award trophy. Both of which will be presented to the author at the event, which will be held this year in-person and via Zoom on Tuesday, December 13 at 5:00pm. Light refreshments will be served.

This holiday season, visit Tryon Resort’s Winterfest Village to find festive fun for the entire family. Meet Santa and your favorite Who-ville characters with your Winterfest Village ticket, or come enjoy free live music and character interactions in Legends Plaza. There is something to get every member of the family in the holiday spirit!

If you decide to attend and to purchase books, we ask that you purchase from Malaprop’s. When you do this you make it possible for us to continue hosting author events and you keep more dollars in our community. You may also support our work by purchasing a gift card or making a donation of any amount below. Thank you!

Outsiders are always given a choice: the Forest or the lake. Either way, they’re never heard from again.
Leelo has spent her entire life on Endla, coexisting with the bloodthirsty Forest and respecting the poisonous lake that protects her island from outsiders who seek to destroy it. But as much as Leelo cares for her community, she struggles to accept that her younger brother will be exiled by his next birthday, unless he gains the magic of enchanted song so vital to Endla.
When Leelo sees a young outsider on the verge of drowning in the lake, she knows exactly what she’s supposed to do. But in a moment that will change everything, Leelo betrays her family, her best friend, and Endla by making an unthinkable choice.
Discovery could lead to devastating consequences for both Leelo and the outsider, Jaren, but as they grow closer, Leelo realizes that not all danger comes from beyond the lake–and they can only survive if Leelo is willing to question the very fabric of her society, her people, and herself.

Mara Rutherford began her writing career as a journalist but quickly discovered she far preferred fantasy to reality. Originally from California, Mara has since lived all over the world along with her Marine-turned-diplomat husband. A triplet born on Leap Day, Mara holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies from the University of London.

Kristin Dwyer is the author of SOME MISTAKES WERE MADE. She grew up under the California sun and still prays every day for a cloudy sky. When she’s not writing books about people kissing Kristin works as a part-time hair model but is full-time TSA PRECHECK. One time a credible news outlet asked for her opinion on K-pop (it was the best day of her life). Please do not talk to her about your fandom, she will try to join.

Isabel Ibañez is the author of Woven in Moonlight, Together We Burn, and Written in Starlight, a finalist for the William C. Morris Award, and is listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books Of All Time. She was born in Boca Raton, Florida, and is the proud daughter of two Bolivian immigrants. Isabel has a profound appreciation for history and traveling and loves hosting family and friends around the dinner table. She currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband, their adorable dog, and a serious collection of books. Say hi on social media!

Rebecca Ross writes fantasy novels for teens and adults. She lives in the Appalachian foothills of Northeast Georgia with her husband, their lively Australian Shepherd, and an endless pile of books. THE QUEEN’S RISING duology, SISTERS OF SWORD & SONG, and DREAMS LIE BENEATH are her titles for teen readers. A RIVER ENCHANTED and A FIRE ENDLESS are her bestselling novels for adults. When not writing, she can be found reading or in her garden, where she grows wildflowers and story ideas.

Punch Bucket Lit, West Asheville’s reading series at Cellarest Beer Project is back for more live readings in our taproom featuring authors Alysia Li Ying Sawchyn and Emily Paige Wilson. While the authors vary month-to-month you can always count on inspiring poetry, moving essays and heartfelt original literary works read aloud in the contemplative company of other lit nerds and creative types alike. We’ll booze, we’ll listen, we’ll feel feelings and we’ll see the world through a different lens for an evening.

registration is not required

Free for Museum Members or included with Museum admission; registration is not required
The author of this memoir, Winfred Rembert, grew up as a field hand on a Georgia plantation. He embraced the Civil Rights Movement, endured political violence, survived a lynching, and spent seven years in prison on a chain gang. Years later, seeking a fresh start at age 52, Rembert discovered his gift and vision as an artist, and using the leather tooling skills he learned in prison, started etching and painting scenes from his youth.

Discussion Bound is a monthly book club where guests may exchange ideas about readings that relate to artworks and the art world, and to learn from and about each other. Books discussed are available at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café for a 10 percent discount (malaprops.com). To add your name to our Discussion Bound mailing list, call 828.253.3227 x133.

This holiday season, visit Tryon Resort’s Winterfest Village to find festive fun for the entire family. Meet Santa and your favorite Who-ville characters with your Winterfest Village ticket, or come enjoy free live music and character interactions in Legends Plaza. There is something to get every member of the family in the holiday spirit!

Some of our greatest art has come in response to the pain of this world: war, accident, crime and punishment, physical and mental illness, racial and class-based inequities. As Asheville resident Nancy Sehested has written, “The deeply human questions of forgiveness, redemption, and mercy emerge from the ruins of broken lives…Pain is not the last word.”

On eight evenings from September to December, the Wilma Dykeman Legacy and the West Asheville Library will celebrate four memoirs of resilience and hope from the mountains of Western North Carolina. All events are free and will be at the West Asheville Library, except for the digital event on December 8.

About the Wilma Dykeman Legacy

The Wilma Dykeman Legacy is a tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 2012 to sustain and promote Wilma Dykeman’s values by sponsoring diverse workshops, events, and other programs.  The core values of this extraordinary woman from Buncombe County included environmental integrity, social justice, and the power of the written and spoken word.  For more information, visit www.wilmadykemanlegacy.org.

This holiday season, visit Tryon Resort’s Winterfest Village to find festive fun for the entire family. Meet Santa and your favorite Who-ville characters with your Winterfest Village ticket, or come enjoy free live music and character interactions in Legends Plaza. There is something to get every member of the family in the holiday spirit!

The Book for December is “The Matrix” by: Lauren Groff
Lauren Groff returns with her exhilarating first new novel since the groundbreaking Fates and Furies.

Cast out of the royal court by Eleanor of Aquitaine, deemed too coarse and rough-hewn for marriage or courtly life, 17-year-old Marie de France is sent to England to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey, its nuns on the brink of starvation and beset by disease.

At first taken aback by the severity of her new life, Marie finds focus and love in collective life with her singular and mercurial sisters. In this crucible, Marie steadily supplants her desire for family, for her homeland, for the passions of her youth with something new to her: devotion to her sisters, and a conviction in her own divine visions. Marie, born the last in a long line of women warriors and crusaders, is determined to chart a bold new course for the women she now leads and protects. But in a world that is shifting and corroding in frightening ways, one that can never reconcile itself with her existence, will the sheer force of Marie’s vision be bulwark enough?

Equally alive to the sacred and the profane, Matrix gathers currents of violence, sensuality, and religious ecstasy in a mesmerizing portrait of consuming passion, aberrant faith, and a woman that history moves both through and around. Lauren Groff’s new novel, her first since Fates and Furies, is a defiant and timely exploration of the raw power of female creativity in a corrupted world.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/31/books/review/matrix-lauren-groff.html

The Book for December is “The Matrix” by: Lauren Groff
Lauren Groff returns with her exhilarating first new novel since the groundbreaking Fates and Furies.

Cast out of the royal court by Eleanor of Aquitaine, deemed too coarse and rough-hewn for marriage or courtly life, 17-year-old Marie de France is sent to England to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey, its nuns on the brink of starvation and beset by disease.

At first taken aback by the severity of her new life, Marie finds focus and love in collective life with her singular and mercurial sisters. In this crucible, Marie steadily supplants her desire for family, for her homeland, for the passions of her youth with something new to her: devotion to her sisters, and a conviction in her own divine visions. Marie, born the last in a long line of women warriors and crusaders, is determined to chart a bold new course for the women she now leads and protects. But in a world that is shifting and corroding in frightening ways, one that can never reconcile itself with her existence, will the sheer force of Marie’s vision be bulwark enough?

Equally alive to the sacred and the profane, Matrix gathers currents of violence, sensuality, and religious ecstasy in a mesmerizing portrait of consuming passion, aberrant faith, and a woman that history moves both through and around. Lauren Groff’s new novel, her first since Fates and Furies, is a defiant and timely exploration of the raw power of female creativity in a corrupted world.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/31/books/review/matrix-lauren-groff.html

Please join us at The 2nd Act in Hendersonville, NC for our first monthly book club meeting that strives to read books that create a closer knit and more inclusive community! We will meet virtually and in person monthly to discuss a book, so read the book and then join in the discussion in person or online every third Thursday. All are welcome! At the end of each meeting we will vote on the next book! The virtual club meeting will be in Zoom format and will meet 2.5 hours after the in-person meeting (8:00pm EST). After the meeting there is live acoustic music so stay and enjoy the vibe with your new friends! Put us down on your calendar for every third Third Thursday!

The first book is going to be called Disability Visibility.

Synopsis from the back cover: One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent—but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Now, just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, activist Alice Wong brings together this urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people.

From Harriet McBryde Johnson’s account of her debate with Peter Singer over her own personhood to original pieces by authors like Keah Brown and Haben Girma; from blog posts, manifestos, and eulogies to Congressional testimonies, and beyond: this anthology gives a glimpse into the rich complexity of the disabled experience, highlighting the passions, talents, and everyday lives of this community. It invites readers to question their own understandings. It celebrates and documents disability culture in the now. It looks to the future and the past with hope and love. Preview:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51456746-disability-visibility
Message me for the Zoom link to the online meetup. Thanks!

This club meets in-person and virtually. If you are interested in attending, please email [email protected] for more info and instructions! 

Join host and Malaprop’s bookseller Patricia Furnish to discuss a range of books across different periods of history. The club tackles challenging subjects, hence “NOTORIOUS.”  Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets at Malaprop’s on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm.

This holiday season, visit Tryon Resort’s Winterfest Village to find festive fun for the entire family. Meet Santa and your favorite Who-ville characters with your Winterfest Village ticket, or come enjoy free live music and character interactions in Legends Plaza. There is something to get every member of the family in the holiday spirit!

The annual Swannanoa Winterfest will bring the sights and sounds of the season to Grovemont Square (adjacent to the Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston Ave.) on Saturday, December 17th, from 3 – 8 pm. Modeled on traditional European holiday markets, the Swannanoa Winterfest will feature a variety of artisans and vendors selling holiday-themed items. Delicious food and hot drinks will be available for purchase. Warm your hands over a fire while enjoying caroling, entertainment on the pavilion stage, festive holiday lights, and even a visit from Olaf the Snowman! This free event is brought to you by the Swannanoa Community Council, Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa (FANS) and Friends of the Swannanoa Library. For more info, call the Library at 828-250-6486, or visit www.GrovemontPark.org.

This holiday season, visit Tryon Resort’s Winterfest Village to find festive fun for the entire family. Meet Santa and your favorite Who-ville characters with your Winterfest Village ticket, or come enjoy free live music and character interactions in Legends Plaza. There is something to get every member of the family in the holiday spirit!

Jazz Sunday at One World Brewing West is a modern jazz jam held every Sunday afternoon from 1-4pm. Previously known as Jazz Monday, the jam has been running non stop since July, 2018 at the West Asheville brewery and is hosted weekly by The Fully Vaccinated Jazz Trio, consisting of Ray Ring on guitar, Jason DeCristofaro on drums, piano and vibraphone, and Connor Law on bass. Jazz Sunday typically features a guest artist for a short set and then welcomes jazz musicians of all levels to sit in for the remainder of the afternoon on One World’s spacious outdoor stage.